How blind can 'read' shown in Hebrew University research

Public release date: 16-May-2012
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Contact: Jerry Barach
jerryb@savion.huji.ac.il
972-258-82904
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, May 16, 2012 A method developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for training blind persons to "see" through the use of a sensory substitution device (SSD) has enabled those using the system to actually "read" an eye chart with letter sizes smaller than those used in determining the international standard for blindness.

The eight congenitally blind participants in the Hebrew University test group passed the conventional eye-exam of the Snellen acuity test, technically surpassing the world-agreed criterion of the World Health Organization (WHO) for blindness and moving them to the level of (low-vision) sighted. These results were published recently in the PLoS One Journal in the US.

The Snellen test is a standard visual test in which the patient views a chart which contains the letter E facing four different directions and in various sizes. The patient sits at a specific distance of 20 feet (6 meters) and has to determine the direction of the E's, and according to the smallest size he can read, his visual acuity is determined.

Normal vision is considered 20/20, referring to both the distance and size of the symbols on the eye chart. The congenitally blind participants in the Hebrew University test group reached a median level of 20/360, meaning they could identify letters from a distance of 20 feet that a normally sighted person (with normal vision) would be able to identify from 360 feet. The 20/360 result is better than the World health organization criterion for blindness, which is 20/400.

The Hebrew University researchers -- Dr. Amir Amedi, of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada at the Hebrew University, and Ph.D. student Ella Striem-Amit -- have been using a sensory substitution device developed by Dr. Peter Meijer of Holland and called "The vOICe." The device converts images from a miniature camera into "soundscapes," using a predictable algorithm, allowing the user to listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera.

Remarkably, proficient users who have had a dedicated (but relatively brief) training at Dr. Amedi's lab were able to use SSDs to identify complex everyday objects, locate people and their postures, read letters and words, and even identify facial expressions.

Recently, the ability to extract and "translate" fine visual detail in this manner was demonstrated in an experiment led by Striem-Amit in which, for the first time, congenitally blind vOICe users were subjected to an ophthalmologist's standard visual acuity test, using sounds. Surprisingly, not only were the blind SSD-users able to tell which way the "tumbling E's" were turning using sounds, but most of them could perform the test at small letter sizes, below the standard World Health Organization's blindness threshold.

Such visual capacities greatly surpass even those possible by the most advanced cutting-edge retinal prostheses ("bionic eyes") available today. In fact, even though retinal prostheses may improve their resolution in the future, and have the advantage of providing the sensation of sight, they will not be accessible to a large population of blind individuals. Retinal prostheses target only very specific blindness etiologies, leaving many others without medical cure.

This factor, as well as the invasiveness and high cost of retinal prostheses make non-invasive and very cheap SSDs, such as The vOICe or other novel SSDs developed in Amedi's lab, attractive alternatives, which can be available already today to the 39 million worldwide blind population, the majority of whom live in developing countries, who could already enjoy the adventure of learning to "see" in high resolution, using sound.

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Public release date: 16-May-2012
[ | E-mail | Share ]

Contact: Jerry Barach
jerryb@savion.huji.ac.il
972-258-82904
The Hebrew University of Jerusalem

Jerusalem, May 16, 2012 A method developed at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem for training blind persons to "see" through the use of a sensory substitution device (SSD) has enabled those using the system to actually "read" an eye chart with letter sizes smaller than those used in determining the international standard for blindness.

The eight congenitally blind participants in the Hebrew University test group passed the conventional eye-exam of the Snellen acuity test, technically surpassing the world-agreed criterion of the World Health Organization (WHO) for blindness and moving them to the level of (low-vision) sighted. These results were published recently in the PLoS One Journal in the US.

The Snellen test is a standard visual test in which the patient views a chart which contains the letter E facing four different directions and in various sizes. The patient sits at a specific distance of 20 feet (6 meters) and has to determine the direction of the E's, and according to the smallest size he can read, his visual acuity is determined.

Normal vision is considered 20/20, referring to both the distance and size of the symbols on the eye chart. The congenitally blind participants in the Hebrew University test group reached a median level of 20/360, meaning they could identify letters from a distance of 20 feet that a normally sighted person (with normal vision) would be able to identify from 360 feet. The 20/360 result is better than the World health organization criterion for blindness, which is 20/400.

The Hebrew University researchers -- Dr. Amir Amedi, of the Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Sciences and the Institute for Medical Research Israel-Canada at the Hebrew University, and Ph.D. student Ella Striem-Amit -- have been using a sensory substitution device developed by Dr. Peter Meijer of Holland and called "The vOICe." The device converts images from a miniature camera into "soundscapes," using a predictable algorithm, allowing the user to listen to and then interpret the visual information coming from the camera.

Remarkably, proficient users who have had a dedicated (but relatively brief) training at Dr. Amedi's lab were able to use SSDs to identify complex everyday objects, locate people and their postures, read letters and words, and even identify facial expressions.

Recently, the ability to extract and "translate" fine visual detail in this manner was demonstrated in an experiment led by Striem-Amit in which, for the first time, congenitally blind vOICe users were subjected to an ophthalmologist's standard visual acuity test, using sounds. Surprisingly, not only were the blind SSD-users able to tell which way the "tumbling E's" were turning using sounds, but most of them could perform the test at small letter sizes, below the standard World Health Organization's blindness threshold.

Such visual capacities greatly surpass even those possible by the most advanced cutting-edge retinal prostheses ("bionic eyes") available today. In fact, even though retinal prostheses may improve their resolution in the future, and have the advantage of providing the sensation of sight, they will not be accessible to a large population of blind individuals. Retinal prostheses target only very specific blindness etiologies, leaving many others without medical cure.

This factor, as well as the invasiveness and high cost of retinal prostheses make non-invasive and very cheap SSDs, such as The vOICe or other novel SSDs developed in Amedi's lab, attractive alternatives, which can be available already today to the 39 million worldwide blind population, the majority of whom live in developing countries, who could already enjoy the adventure of learning to "see" in high resolution, using sound.

###

---

[ | E-mail | Share ]

?

AAAS and EurekAlert! are not responsible for the accuracy of news releases posted to EurekAlert! by contributing institutions or for the use of any information through the EurekAlert! system.

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Enlarge

A bilateral free trade agreement between Colombia and the United States came to life today with the Miami arrival of 4,200 boxes of fresh-cut Colombian roses, carnations, astromelias, and the delivery of a high-end Harley-Davidson in Bogota.

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Six years after the agreement was first signed, both the flowers and the motorcycle entered the countries tariff-free under the bilateral pact, which is heralded by US and Colombian officials as the start of a new era in US-Colombian relations. It is expected to boost both countries' economies.

The "FTA will be a formula for growth," said Colombia's Trade Minister Sergio Diaz-Granados in a statement today.

But celebrations were dampened when a bomb exploded on a busy commercial street in downtown Bogota this afternoon. Though the bombing is believed to be unrelated to the free trade agreement, it is a reminder that Colombia remains a nation trapped in the middle of an internal conflict, home to some 20,000 leftist rebels, paramilitary fighters, and drug traffickers. In light of the explosion, President Juan Manuel Santos cancelled a planned trip to the Caribbean port city of Cartagena. He had planned to attend the official send-off of a container of clothing and textiles headed for the United States ? a long-awaited, and symbolic event.

The long journey toward free trade

The free trade agreement (FTA) was signed in 2006 but was not brought to the US Congress for approval until last year, caught up in political wrangling between Democrats and Republicans in the US, and human rights groups in both countries. President Obama sent it to lawmakers in October 2011 and on Monday signed the decree that put the long-stalled trade agreement into effect.

American exports such as machinery, textiles, soybeans, beef, bacon, cotton, and nearly all fruits and vegetables can now enter Colombia duty-free. Most Colombian products such as oil, flowers, gold, coffee, and bananas, already enjoyed duty-free access to the US market under the Andean Trade Promotion and Drug Eradication Act (ATPDEA). The new trade pact extends those benefits to other products to cover nearly 100 percent of Colombian exports.

The pact also opens the door to more investments in Colombia both by US companies and by businesses from third nations who may want to take advantage of the trade benefits. ?Colombia is the perfect platform from which to export to the United States,? said President Santos.

Not everyone is happy

Today?s bombing left two people dead and injured 24, including former interior minister Fernando Londono who was believed to be the target of the bomb. Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro told reporters at the scene that the attack was an attempt to "sully the city on the day the FTA is inaugurated."

Initial speculations suggested the bombing was related to student protests against the trade agreement at universities in the city, which highlights the reality that not all parties are happy with the trade pact.

Human rights groups have been largely outspoken throughout the FTA process. Human rights advocates in Colombia and Washington effectively lobbied the US Congress to use the passage of the FTA as leverage to demand Colombia address labor and human rights violations against union leaders.

It was only after Colombia agreed to a Labor Action Plan in April 2011 in which the South American nation pledged to strengthen protection for organized labor leaders that the FTA moved forward. But according to the National Labor School (ENS), a labor union research center, the Colombian government has only implemented 28 out of the 37 commitments included in the labor plan, and many of those only partially.? ?

Labor unions now have a ?post-FTA agenda,? says ENS president Luciano Sanin. This includes monitoring the application of the action plan and the labor practices of American companies that set up shop in the country.

Some Colombian businesses are also worried about the FTA. Poultry producers are some of the most vulnerable to American imports since industry leaders say American chicken could come in at half the price of the Colombian product. While whole chickens, breasts, and wings are immediately tariff-free, leg quarters ? which American consumers generally reject ? are subject to quotas which will be gradually expanded as tariffs drop. But the protections are not enough, says Jorge Quintero, general manager of poultry producer Quinsagro in Bucaramanga, the unofficial chicken capital of Colombia. He says he sees a ?sad panorama? for the industry.?

A study of the FTA?s impact on small farmers paints an equally grim picture. As much as 70 percent of Colombian peasant farmers could see their income drop by 16 percent as an effect of the FTA. The study predicts that rice imports could decrease rice cultivation in Colombia by 31 percent. ?The negotiation of [the] agricultural part of the FTA with the United States was very bad,? says Fernando Barbieri, one of the co-authors of the study.

Despite the dire predictions for small-scale farmers, Colombia expects its overall exports to increase by at least 10 percent this year under the FTA. The US International Trade Commission calculates the value of US exports to Colombia could rise by $1.1 billion, while Colombian exports could grow by $487 million. Trade between Colombia and the US last year was valued at more than $35 billion.

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MacBook Pro and iMac with next-gen Ivy Bridge processors crop up on benchmarks (update)

Yup, Apples are bound to flow beneath the Ivy Bridge at some point, but how much of a performance boost will they deliver? If you're happy to hold onto a little skepticism, then two unexpected appearances on the Geekbench site could offer some early answers. The first purports to be an unknown 'MacBookPro9,1' laptop powered by an Ivy Bridge Core i7-3820QM running at 2.7GHz, which achieved a benchmark of 12252 -- that's around 17 percent better than a current equivalent Core i7 15-inch or 17-inch MacBook Pro. The second benchmark comes from an 'iMac13,2' running off Intel's next-gen Core i7-3770 desktop chip clocked at 3.4GHz, which only merits a score of 12183 because it's hobbled by 4GB of RAM. If you exclude memory and compare only the CPU integer and floating point scores, then you're looking at a roughly nine percent gain over a current 27-inch iMac with a 3.4Ghz Core i7-2600 processor. Now, these benchmarks could be faked, or represent non-final hardware, but the motherboard codes look valid (see the source links) and they generally tally with what we've come to expect from Ivy Bridge: a healthy oar-stroke forwards, but nothing that would frighten the fish.

Update: 9to5Mac has done some digging and come up with a few more interesting tidbits about the upcoming MacBook Pro refresh. For one, code pulled from the Mountain Lion beta appears to indicate that the Ivy Bridge machines will boast USB 3.0 and a new GPU in the NVIDIA GeForce GT 650M. The site also claims that the laptops will be slimmer than the current gen, a rumor that's we've been hearing for quite some time now.

MacBook Pro and iMac with next-gen Ivy Bridge processors crop up on benchmarks (update) originally appeared on Engadget on Mon, 14 May 2012 08:49:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink CultofMac, MacRumors  |  Geekbench (1), (2), RevoGirl's Blog, 9to5Mac  | Email this | Comments

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